Assistant professorship in Integrating the Timber Value Chain with Novel Structural Logics

The Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, Conservation invites applications for a 3-year, full-time position as assistant professor with a particular focus on integrating the timber value chain with novel structural logics.
We are looking for a person with a visionary professional profile who is committed to delivering results, presenting knowledge and contributing innovative thinking in the area. With a focus on process and method, and the inclusion of the latest knowledge and technology, you are expected to be able to contribute cutting-edge knowledge to the field. Our general aim is to strengthen the subject area of timber value chain with novel structural logics, supplement our research and teaching competencies in the field and reinforce our networks and collaborations, both nationally and internationally.

The vacant assistant professorship is affiliated with the Institute of Architecture and Technology. We hope to fill the position as soon as possible.

Institute of Architecture and Technology

The Department of Architecture and Technology unites building art with studies of technologies in the development and use of materials, the design and properties of building structures and production. The institute focuses on how technologies in critical interaction with architecture can enrich the community and cope with global challenges - both in Danish and international contexts. We work on materials studies, building physics and tectonic innovation. The department's research and artistic development often takes place in close interdisciplinary cooperation with relevant institutions and companies all over the world. The department's teaching is organized in 1 bachelor's program ,4 master's programs and teaching of ph.d.s. In addition, the institute contributes to the Academy’s interdisciplinary teaching.

Read more here: https://royaldanishacademy.com/en/institute-architecture-technology

The position

The position of assistant professor will consist of research and/or artistic research, teaching and administrative duties.

Your duties will include:

• Teaching, curriculum planning, and the associated administration related to the Royal Danish Academy’s programmes and interdisciplinary teaching, including teaching at Masters level at “Arkitekturens Teknologi” (AT) and “Architecture and Extreme environments” (AEE).
• Supervision, module content development, examinations and external examiner duties.
• Research and/or artistic research in the focus area of the position, in collaboration with relevant external institutions, enterprises and networks nationally and internationally, as well as with the other R&D areas at the Institute and the Royal Danish Academy as a whole.
• Visionary and productive teamwork when planning future R&D projects, including actively participating in applying for external funding and fund-raising for the Institute’s activities.
• Participation in various Royal Danish Academy committees and, potentially, in collegiate bodies.

In addition, you will be expected to participate in interdisciplinary teaching and research collaborations with the Royal Danish Academy’s other institutes and staff, including contributing to the content and development of interdisciplinary joint teaching at the Royal Danish Academy, as well as other tasks as required.

Your research will be integrated with the Kagome Architectures project, a new research project funded by the Carlsberg Foundation under a 5-year Semper Ardens Accomplish grant and led by Prof. Phil Ayres. The project will investigate the direct application of tri-axial weaving principles to solid timber with the objective of making structurally performing lattices at architectural scale. The research position will have specific focus on integrating understandings of the timber value chain to inform strategies of material sourcing and use within the project and with a view towards potential upscaling of the approach. Focus areas will include:

• Assessment of resource availability and prospecting of anticipated changes over the coming decades driven by climate, economic, land-use change and other factors.
• Assessing current processing and manufacturing constraints, and QC methods against specific material requirements of the novel structural logic.
• Analysis of the supply chain, including logistics, towards developing digitally integrated coordination models for testing upscaling potential and more flexible and optimised procurement strategies.
• Mapping of relevant regulatory and compliance issues covering building codes and standards.
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Data Gathering with focus on the timber supply chain.
• Benchmarking against related typologies with particular focus on the areas defined above.

Beyond the Kagome Architectures project. The position will cover broader research on wood and waste wood.

Your teaching will focus on both organising and delivering taught modules, workshop-based teaching as well as studio teaching. The areas that you will need to cover are sustainable design strategies developed through material/physical and digital modelling including parametric thinking, their application in a design context especially with focus on materials and structures. The main focus will be on timber explored within novel structural morphologies and systems that address wood’s value chain holistically. The teaching will also cover other materials and structures within a circular context. You will primarily be teaching at a master’s (candidate level) where you will be expected to deliver research-based teaching.

Qualifications

As a minimum, you hold a relevant master’s level degree and a PhD or PhD or PhD-level scientific qualifications.

We also expect that you:

• Demonstrate a strong prior research engagement situating novel design approaches within the context of the timber value chain.
• Demonstrate track record of self-directed research enquiry evidenced through lead-authorship of published peer-reviewed conference and/or journal papers

As the Royal Danish Academy focuses on research and teaching collaborations both internally and externally with industry, public institutions and other institutions of higher education, it will be an advantage to have proven experience in developing, funding and implementing externally funded research projects as well as projects involving industry collaborations.

Documented experience in teaching at bachelor’s and master’s level will also count in an applicant’s favour, as will experience in curriculum planning and development. In particular, you should be able to demonstrate an interest in actively contributing to research-based teaching at the Institute in collaboration with the other teaching staff. In the overall assessment of the candidates for this position, particular importance will therefore be attached to a proven track record in innovative teaching.

What we offer

We offer a creative, dedicated, stimulating and visionary educational and research environment. The successful candidate will enjoy contributory influence, responsibility and an opportunity to shape the Royal Danish Academy’s research and teaching. We value good collegial relationships conducive to mutual inspiration and discourse.

As an assistant professor, you will be offered supervision and opportunities to upgrade your teaching skills, with the ultimate aim being to give you a written assessment of your teaching qualifications.

Salary and terms of employment

The terms of pay and employment will be in accordance with the agreement in force between the Danish Ministry of Finance and a number of organisations under the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) for academic staff in public service. A qualification allowance will be negotiable, depending on your skills and experience.

The position will also be filled in accordance with the applicable job structure for artistic and scientific staff at the Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, Conservation; Aarhus School of Architecture and Design School Kolding – Executive Order No. 1190 of 21 August 2023.

This is a full-time position with an average of 37 working hours per week and includes research and teaching duties, as well as a limited amount of administrative work. The distribution between research and teaching will generally be 50:50. The distribution of your duties may differ as deemed necessary by the Royal Danish Academy, and you may be required to undertake other job-related duties.

The position is a fixed-term appointment that will cease without further notice after 3 years.

Any secondary occupation is acceptable provided it is compatible with the duties of an assistant professor.

Application

Please submit a letter of motivation, an up-to-date CV, academic diplomas and certificates, documentation of your qualifications as listed above, a description of your research plans and a list of your published works, preferably including copies of works you wish to highlight (maximum five works). Finally, you should attach material that attests to your teaching skills. Any assessments of previous assistant professorships should also be enclosed.

You should submit your application with attachments online via the “Apply for position” button, to reach the Royal Danish Academy no later than 22 September 2024.

Attachments that cannot be submitted online with the application should be sent by post in triplicate to the address below and must be received by the Royal Danish Academy before the application deadline:

Det Kongelige Akademi – Arkitektur, Design, Konservering

Att Ellen Kruse Jacobsen

Philip de Langes Allé 10

1435 Copenhagen K

Applications and application documents received after the application deadline will not be considered.

Please note that the position is being advertised and will be filled in accordance with the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s “Executive Order of 12 April 2019 on the employment of artistic and scientific staff at the higher artistic educational institutions within the remit of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science”.

After the application deadline, in consultation with the appointments committee, the head of the institute will select applicants for assessment. Applicants will be selected according to an overall assessment of which applicants best meet the criteria set out in this call for applications based on the application documents submitted. In your application, including attachments, please therefore provide evidence that you meet the qualification requirements described in the call for applications. All applicants will then be informed as to whether or not their application will proceed to the next stage of the selection procedure, and those selected will be informed of the composition of the committee. An expert assessment committee will then assess the selected applicants for the given position. Each applicant will be sent their assessment, with an option to submit comments.

Further information

Information regarding qualification requirements, the application process and the e-recruitment system can be obtained on request from HR employee, Ellen Kruse Jacobsen; email: [email protected]; tel.: +45 4170 1539.

Details about the academic content of the position can be obtained on request from Prof. Phil Ayres; email: [email protected]; tel.: +45 4170 1758.

General information about the Royal Danish Academy and the Institute of Architecture and Technology can be found at www.royaldanishacademy.com.

The Royal Danish Academy is an inclusive workplace that considers diversity a strength. We therefore encourage all qualified and interested applicants to apply for the position.

About the Royal Danish Academy

The Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design and Conservation is an internationally recognised academy that educates professionally creative graduates to the highest level and develops new knowledge that creates value for society and the labour market. The Royal Danish Academy is a public institution under the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and has approximately 1,700 students and 350 full-time staff equivalents. Read more about the Royal Danish Academy on our website www.royaldanishacademy.com.